Source: The Daily Record (Baltimore, Md.)
As we head towards the end of August, many golf courses, both public and private, will be drilling thousands and thousands of tiny holes in their tees, greens and fairways.
When you see the holes all over the course, don't think the golf course superintendents have lost their minds or are attempting to bring back the periodic cicadas out of the ground. They are simply trying to improve the health and quality of the golf course.
This bi-annual process (spring and fall) frustrates many golfers. From their perspective, the course looks perfectly healthy and in no need of repair or improvements.
The truth is, aerification is a short-term disruption that has definite long-term benefits for the golf course.
Turf on golf courses is stressed from the constant pounding from golfers, carts and mowers that clip the fairways short and the greens even shorter at only 5/32 of an inch or lower! To keep the course in top condition, a deep and healthy root system is absolutely necessary.
To maintain a healthy root system, a good supply of oxygen for respiration is essential to support the grass growing above it.
Oxygen for the complex root system is found in small pockets of air trapped between soil particles.
Several outside factors tend to lessen or eliminate these air pockets. The biggest factor in destroying the air pockets is compaction caused by traffic from golfers' feet and mowing equipment.
When the soil gets compacted or too dense, the pockets of oxygen on which the roots rely are crushed, leaving very little air in the soil and making it difficult for water to penetrate. The roots are left gasping for air and eventually wither and die, and the whole plant soon follows.
The process of aerification creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting to keep the grass healthy and durable.
The process itself involves removing plugs of grass and soil from the ground and filling them with a special type of sand.
The sand contains several components that allow the soil to better maintain air pockets, improve water penetration and promote healthy root growth. The sand is brushed into the holes, which usually heal within several days.
Without aerification, greens, tees and fairways will eventually brown out and die. It is a necessary practice integral to maintaining a top-notch golf facility.
The Baltimore County public golf courses are always striving to improve and perfect their aerification techniques to minimize the disruption to the golfing public.
The county courses post an up-to-date aerification schedule on their Web site -- www.BaltimoreGolfing.com --to keep the public informed. The courses also routinely offer discounts during and immediately following aerification.